KibaHina Firsts
by CrystleIceFire
Summary: Kiba was Hinata's many firsts, as was Hinata may of Kiba's firsts. It was only fitting. -A collection of linked oneshots, depicting all sorts of KibaHina narutoverse moments- :D
1. First Impressions

Summary

Hinata had been Kiba's many firsts. As well as Kiba to Hinata's firsts. It seemed only right.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Naruto, although I made the fanfiction, it rightfully belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Firsts

...

Chapter 1-First Impressions

The first time Kiba had ever been frightened of a girl had been nearly three years ago, the first time he'd laid eyes on Hinata of the Hyuga Clan.

...

Kiba, like all others in his class at the Academy, had been awaiting this day with eagerness, though none more than he as the Inuzuka practically skipped into the large classroom with it's tiered desks and quickly took a seat. Not long after many other ninja-in-training alike filled in with a rush of speed, filling seats left and right until there was no room left. Moments passed uneventfully. Waiting, waiting, and more waiting as boredom set it.

Apparently, Akamaru possessed his master's capacity for patience as well, though he made it much better known as the pup began to growl and yip from the confines of his jacket, squirming in outrage. Kiba didn't necessarily blame him, as a Inuzuka member, many animal-like traits were often shared, and dogs were beings of action, not beings of 'waiting-until-you'd-rather-die'.

Frustrated and impatient, Kiba grumbled unhappily, patting Akamaru's head to momentarily silence him as finally, finally Iruka-sensei appeared to announce the teams of three that would be paired to a sensei and move onward on their journeys' as ninja. The excitement of it all was nearly suffocating, and he was not the only one to feel this way, the many other ninja-in-training that surrounded him formed a sea of excitement and ambition. It was almost intoxicating, the way it filled him with a untouchable euphoria at the prospect of becoming a world renowned ninja.

Moments passed and ninja after ninja were claimed by their sensei, and with each moment Kiba wasn't called he grew more and more restless and impatient. Kiba was not known for patience, and though he knew it would do him no good to fume, he could not will himself to calm down. Who would his sensei be? Famous ninja like Kakashi the Copy Ninja or the powerhouse brash ninja Azuma were already taken much to his despair, for he had hoped they would be the ones to aid him the future-ninja-of-badassery by tutoring him.

Who would be his teammates? Perhaps he would get someone strong and mysterious, like Sasuke Uchiha, and form a powerful rivalry to fuel his own progress. Or perhaps he would end up with someone useful, and yet weak enough to allow his frothing ego to thrive such as Sakura Haruno? What if he were paired with Naruto Uzumaki?

The thought was almost to terrible to comprehend. From the moment Naruto declared his dream to become Hokage he had despised the failure ninja student as he laughed to his face; perhaps for none other reason than for simply hoping beyond hope that he could even dare match the wisdom and strength of a famous Hokage. The bratty blond was annoying and loud, not to mention a complete nuisance. He feared he'd lose it entirely if he were paired with him.

The minutes seemed to take hours as he waited. And finally, finally, he was called. And much to his dismay he not only had a female sensei, but two students of whom he had not even met. Akamaru picked up on his master's disappointment, and burrowed further into his jacket, clearly entering a state of pouting.

Kurenai was his sensei's name, a strong looking yet beautiful young woman with untamable black hair and alluring red eyes that matched her equally red lips. She seemed nice enough, if not a little strict. It was nothing new to Kiba, he had lived his entire life surrounded by the strong and hard headed woman of his own clan, not to mention his own brutal family as well.

His male teammate ended up being Shino Aburame...He had seen the kid several times around the Academy, but he never really stuck out enough to make a good impression on him. Other than the knowledge that the Aburame clan held a strong affinity for insects and preferred many insect like ninjutsu, Kiba knew nothing of him, though he seemed nice enough. If a little reserved in a strangely off-put way.

And the girl...Hinata Hyuga...scared him. Actually _scared _him. After all, you'd have to be the biggest idiot in the world to not know the clan of Hyuga. The oldest, noblest clan in all of Konoha, and perhaps of all ninja time. They were world renowned for their powerful roots and even stronger optical jutsu, the famous Byakugan-said to be passed down for the Sage of the Six Paths himself.

Kiba had heard all the legends of course. Legends that spoke volumes of the Clan's specified jutsu which allowed them near 360 degree vision as well as x-ray vision that not only allowed them to see through an opponent's equipment and clothes, but the paths of chakra as well. He heard they were insanely powerful beings, even capable of pinpointing the chakra outlets in a method called tekkenjutsu that could actually s_top _an enemy's chakra entirely as well using their own extremely difficult and powerful style of taijutsu that took advantage of their ability to expel chakra from any point in the body to actually damage the innards and organs of their opponent.

All in an single instant. No warning whatsoever.

In other words, the Hyugas were legends all on their own, and perhaps even in a league none other clan could possibly hope to match. And for a taijutsu specialist, Kiba had never been more terrified.

His first impression of Hinata was that of a timid, shy, stuttering, and overall seemingly weak ninja. But he was not a fool, he could literally smell the intense level of chakra that flowed all around her, waiting at her beck and call. Furthermore, her lifeless, pupiless, near alien lavender tinted silver eyes marked her unmistakably as a Hyuga Clan member. That knowledge alone was enough to make him tremble, though he did his best to hide it.

He wondered if the others sensed her as well, and if so how they were not all on edge because of it. Hell, the mention of the Hyuga name ought to have them all beyond alert. It was only a matter of time before one of her not-so-gentle-gentle-fists struck one of them, though Kiba sincerely hoped it wouldn't be him. He swallowed, hating his sister with all his being in this very moment for telling him all these awful horror stories of the Hyugas and their powers.

At the time, he merely laughed it off, played it cool, because him meeting a Hyuga was never gonna happen. Not in a million years if he had anything to say about it. Nope, this Inuzuka was just fine with all his organs intact and not in any immediate danger of exploding by touch alone. And he would keep it that way, by avoiding all Hyugas as if they'd contracted the plague.

Now he could only curse and swear to the God's above, praying for them to smite Hana for all her sadistic, story telling torturous ways. He could almost hear her laughter and groaned, 'Become a ninja,' his mom had said, 'It'll be fun!' she'd said.

He'd been ready to quit for good the moment he entered at five, clinging to his mom's arm for dear life as he smelled them for the first time. The distinct scent of Hyuga. Sure enough, not feet from him, was a tall, commandeering man with milky eyes, and Kiba was ashamed to say he'd frozen in terror. His little boy mind flying through every nightmare-causing story his sister had been all too happy to contaminate his mind with. He was fairly certain a few feet was far too close to be to _them._

He'd been about three seconds from throwing himself at the ground in anguish, screeching and pleading for them to 'not make his bladder explode-literally' and shame himself eternally when he'd spotted her. A tiny, fragile looking mess of a girl cowering behind the milky-eyed man's legs as if they'd shield her from abomination if they had to, practically a mirror image of himself at the moment.

He remembered his boyish eyes blinking, almost shocked to see a Hyuga looking so very...normal. He'd entirely forgotten about his fear for that moment, and though her presence unnerved him and the knowledge that they'd be enrolling together was anything but comforting, he'd decided to go on with becoming a ninja anyway. If a plague ridden Hyuga could do it, so could he.

Of course, it would be years later when he'd laugh off this encounter, though his paranoid state of mind caused him to still completely avoid her at all costs up until this moment. This moment were the god's damned him, and his once shadow of a fear which had stemmed from a five year old's horror, now grew exponentially once again.

He had never considered the possibility of having her for a teammate, considering how very many others were included.

However he blinked at the memory, what was she even doing here at the academy? He knew all Hyugas trained in private, mastering their own styles with a brutal training regimen most ninja could not handle. Perhaps she was abandoned? Perhaps she deserted?

He might never know, but for now he contented himself with looking as aloof as possible. As if he really didn't give a damn either way of his sensei, nor his teammates, nor his suffocating fear. As if the small girl in front of him was not making him regret getting up this morning. As if it didn't bother him that those eyes poured into him, and was all too capable of pinpointing his every flaw and weakness.

Regardless introductions were made, all of which Kiba noted but didn't indicate so. When at last his turn came, he only smirked, baring his canine like teeth, daring them to fear him as he jutted a thumb out to indicate himself.

"I am Kiba of the Inuzuka Clan." He declared proudly, boasting of his confidence and status. Now he indicated to the pup hidden beneath the folds of his thick grey coat, the pup was irritable to say the least, and let out a feral growl. Kiba shrugged, Akamaru was right to suspect any strangers he came upon, and who was he to stop him, especially with a Hyuga around. He was clearly the perfect example of man's best friend.

"And this, is my partner, Akamaru."

Shino merely nodded, his tinted sunglasses glinting suspiciously and Kiba got a strange sensation to shudder under his gaze. It was as though he was inspecting him like some sort of specimen, watching him like an insect he intended to capture and study. An uncomfortable feeling to say the least.

It was Hinata who actually spoke, though she did so with her chin to her chest, fingers fumbling in a nervous habit, as if he had scorned her, as if he had ridiculed her. He had done no such thing, but still felt a sense of guilt overcome him. And then those unsettling eyes peeked at him from her indigo lashes.

"Y-your d-d-dog...He is s-s-so c-cute."

Cute.

Akamaru had never _ever _been described as _'cute_'. He was a nin-dog. A force to be reckoned with. A feral beast when provoked. Sure, he may be rather fun-sized now, but any and all nin-dogs, Inuzuka dogs especially, would soon become a monstrous behemoth to which he would partake in epic battle with one day.

In short, He was definitely _not _'cute'.

And yet that was what she had described him as anyway, even if Akamaru had done nothing but growl and hiss from the folds of his coat at her. An intimidating sight even when partially concealed and pint sized. Kiba knew the face he gave her was a mix of outright shock and general disdain at such a stinging insult, to which she huddled even farther into the confines of her equally as thick jacket, as if to hide from his reaction.

To an Inuzuka, a man's dog is like a part of him, and whatever someone thought of his dog, went for him as well. He was definitely not cute either.

She was intimidated by him, though that didn't surprise him. It seemed like she was intimidated by _everything_. Which did not go unnoticed by Kiba when she jumped when Kurenai clapped her hands together, drawing each of her new students her attention.

Kiba's eyes narrowed as he took in her clearly forced smile, a sign that she was not enjoying this insufferable awkwardness anymore than they were. Regardless, she seemed determine to hide it as she continued.

"Isn't that nice? Well, I'm Kurenai and I will be your sensei from now on. Now, why don't you all tell me what you hope to achieve as a ninja?"

More awkward silence, until Shino finally spoke up about wanting to become some sort of legendary bug wielder or something. Kiba could care less about that right now, it was his time to shine after all.

"What do I want as a ninja? Well, I guess I can only ask to become the strongest ever." He replied simply, not even blinking twice at the previous unselfish reasons. He was only interested in his own benefit, and everyone else could either help, or get the hell out of his way. Akamaru barked his agreement.

He wasn't exactly sure when that statement change, but he was pretty certain it all began with Hinata's last sentence.

She was stumbling, stammering, tripping over her words. Her head bent down low, eyes focused on her feet though they shifted unsettlingly, her fingers tapping together in a nervous manner. Her very being exuded awkwardness and insecurity. She was something to be pitied, something to be looked down upon, someone who had no backbone, no resolve, nor hope.

A broken girl. In need of a protector.

"W-well...I-I only r-really w-want t-to make my f-father and m-my clan p-proud as h-heir."

In that instant he felt guilty as hell for ever looking down upon her, for pitying her, for believing her pathetic. She was noble, with a goal to be proud of, even if she was much less than that. Even he could understand a burden of living up to a clan's high standards, though he himself was not crown prince of the Inuzuka's. It was almost a personal expectation, to make his clan as strong as it could with all his heart and soul.

But he knew Hinata's story would be different somehow. She was heir, after all. And heir's, above all else, had to be the epitome of the clan's power. Her burden was far more intense than his own, even as he too, struggled along just attempting to live up to his clan's proud name. He was a fool for thinking less of her, and suddenly, those watery silvery, bloodline trait eyes weren't as scary as he originally thought.

Somewhere in those murky depths, he knew he'd find a fire so strong it would blow her clan away, it simply had to be ignited.

His fists clenched, and he knew without a doubt he would be her unnamed protector and devote himself to aiding her ignite said flame.

...

Hinata, for her part, was equally as terrified of him as he were of her. Though she would never be able to see it by simply looking at him.

Her heart was racing at a unhealthy pace, and she knew if she couldn't calm down she'd most likely faint. But looking at her new teammates, she couldn't help but feel a hint of fear. Shino wasn't so bad, now that she examined him closer, but his concealed eyes unnerved her so. And the very mention of the infamous insects nesting within his body gave her an awful queasy feeling in her stomach.

Kiba was worse. Even if the small dog helped comfort her, Kiba in himself was a sight almost akin to monstrous. She stole glances at him at times, and couldn't help but hone in on his canine like teeth, slitted eyes, and deceptively normal hands that she knew would elongate into claws in a moments notice.

She forced her to take in small breaths, ignoring how very shallow they were. She had seen them both before, of course, around the Academy. She hadn't liked what she saw then either. Kiba was a roughhousing, brutal beast; and Shino was the unnerving, intellectual insect collector.

And who was she? The abandoned princess of her proud clan? The reject child? The one that was always unwanted?

No one noticed her then, and she was fine with that. But now...now everyone was noticing her, and she was caving under their stares. She knew what was expected of her, be polite, be friendly, and above all, be useful, but suddenly she felt her newfound resolve slipping once again. She was failing them once again, failing her comrades, failing their expectations, failing her clan and they hadn't even began their first training session together.

Why did it have to be them? Why them, who looked so very terrifying without even trying? Sasuke Uchiha would've been far preferable, at least she knew his aloof nature would allow her to go unnoticed. Shikamaru would be better, who would be having to much of a drag to bother with her. Even Choji would've been the best, at least he was friendly and wouldn't disturb her quietness with his food devouring nature.

Wait, was that her imagination, or had Kiba's slitted eyes soften just the slightest bit?

Hinata was tempted to use her Byakugan, if only to see through his tough guy facade to see what was the source of that softness. She needed it to be real. She had dealt with nothing but stern faces and grimaces all her life from her strict clan's upbringing, she didn't need more of it.

But those eyes...Was their a cuddly puppy underneath the vicious hound's exterior? Hinata didn't know, but she knew she'd find out for herself one day. They were teammates after all.

So there they were. The dog lover, the bug hoarder, and the forgotten princess. Misfits, rejects, outcasts. The thought was a cold comfort to Hinata, for at least if she were in a team, it would be a team of people just like her. A team of the unwanted.

...


	2. Fear Only Fear Itself

It was days later when Kiba began to overcame his fear of this strange Hyuga girl, it was his first step to their future friendship.

...

Chapter 2- Fear Only Fear Itself

...

"_I heard you're newest teammates were pretty quirky," _His oh-so-sassy sister drawled the next morning, just before she would head off to her clinic to resume her veterinary work. _"And I heard one's a Hyuga." _She had added, smirking a smirk that was far too childish for one of her age. And Kiba thought she was past the whole, 'torturing-little-siblings-is-fun-while-very-immature' stage.

"_You're not scared...are you, little brother?"_

Apparently, the answer was still, 'no'. She had not grown out of that stage just yet, and as Kiba's luck would have it, she never would. His mother had snickered from her place at the stove, crisping perfectly delicible bacon for his well deserved first breakfast as a full fledged ninja. His mother didn't dote on him often, and he was thoroughly looking forward to this...until Hana opened her mouth just moments ago, that is.

"_Of course I'm not sis! Like some horror story from eight years ago scares me!" _He had stubbornly growled, Akamaru as always having his back with a resounding yip of consent. Regardless, Hana had merely chuckled and rolled her eyes. Currently her actions annoyed him, but at the same time fueled his resolve for breaking that insistent fear. Shoveling down his meal and bidding his sister and mother a hearty goodbye, he set off with every intention of doing just that.

...

Now he wasn't so sure.

"You're first task as a team will be to effectively work together to find me somewhere in this area." Kurenai-sensei had stated sternly once she had greeted them all upon her arrival. "This is a pass or fail test, no exceptions. You have until noon." A hand seal was formed, and he watched with growing hopelessness as his sensei literally swirled away in a blur of colors.

His first impulse, as usual, was anger. A moment later his foot had stomped the ground in rage, drawing attention to himself as he growled, meanwhile Akamaru leapt from his perch about his head and aided in the spectacle by yipping insistently.

"What the hell was that for!? I thought a sensei was supposed to teach us stuff, not disappear!"

It was Shino's even voice that broke the silence first, a resounding hum from his insects portraying his hidden anguish akin to Kiba's own, though he curbed it a lot better than Kiba ever could. "I agree it does not seem right, but I will not question it either."

He was about to make a rude comment followed by an equally rude gesture when a small voice piped up, shattering his building outburst just as quickly as it came.

"I t-think Kurenai-sensei w-wants us to p-prove ourselves t-today. M-maybe even a-analyze our n-natural skills."

He shuddered, he'd almost forgotten the girl was there she was so easy to pass by. As if she was transparent. How could he have missed such a thing? What if she decided to take advantage of such a weakness of his and explode him from the inside out? He absolutely refused to die in such a horrible, undeserving way.

The girl flushed under the weight of their eyes resting on her, clearly entirely uncomfortable with having undivided attention for even a moment. His eyes narrowed, perhaps beneath her shy exterior she was just itching for the chance he'd drop his guard and strike. This, however, didn't prove fruitful as she caught his gaze and snapped her head down once more, fumbling with even greater intensity.

Well, if she was waiting for him to cave, he certainly wasn't going to. She could act all she wanted...He wouldn't allow his insides to explode that easily.

"Perhaps she is right." Shino agreed, "It makes sense for her to evaluate our skills before training in order to pinpoint what needs improvement. Also, I believe she intends for us to use our clan's specialized tracking capabilities as a team to excel for this exercise."

So there they were, now consumed by silence as they stood in a triangular formation, each of the new ninjas brimming with ideas, but unsure of how to go about it. Kiba sighed, it was clear he was not in the most social of groups, not that he expected any less.

Shino he could understand, after all the guy _did _carrying living insects in his body, though they also seemed to double as a sign that seemed to say 'Do-not-talk-to-me-ever.' Not that the bug wielder seemed to mind in the first place, as his own personality was quite reserved like most members of his clan.

But Hinata...Hinata was just one huge puzzle, though Kiba was not a fan of puzzles for he often couldn't work his way around them, after all he wasn't any damn genius like Sakura or Shikamaru. Regardless, this shy, reserved nature of his was somewhat startling to him. After all, she was a princess of one of the most noble clan's in all of Kohona, and he knew just as well as everyone else, that heirs were expected to not only be powerful, but polite and conversational, lest they reflect badly upon their clan's upbringing or general being.

Either his eyes were betraying him, or she really was quite the opposite of what one would expect from a noble clan's heir. Sure there was a regal look to her, though the effect was ruined by her bulky hoodie and otherwise baggy looking clothes. Her posture was great too, if one overlooked her nervous habits. Though she seemed unable to converse fluidly, as if the action itself was taboo to her very being. It was ridiculous to Kiba, though he supposed he didn't have room to talk.

After all, it appeared out of his three teammates, it was he who would be labeled the motormouth.

"Fine then. Looks like our best bet is to split up until we find her."

...

Kiba had suggested it simply because it was an escape from his imminent death by Gentle Fist Art. Though he would surely swallow his own dog before admitting such a thing. Instead, he had used his knowledge of tracking to present a solution to all their problems. His fear of death, and the shared need to find their sensei and progress as ninja.

It was a win, win.

Or at least, he'd originally thought so. Now, he wasn't so sure. Kiba hated being unsure. Regardless, he seemed to becoming ever more unsure as his ninja life went on. Maybe he should consider becoming a vet like Hana since clearly these were signs that the ninja life just wasn't for him.

The problem was the fact that no matter how hard he and Akamaru sniffed, there was literally no trace of a scent anywhere. Though he supposed if he would've been thinking properly he would've snagged a strip of fabric or strand of hair from their sensei before she disappeared, or at the very least committed her scent to memory while he had the chance.

It was all so frustrating, even his highly enhanced eyesight couldn't pinpoint any trace of the sensei at all. Not a fingerprint, not a footprint, not even any indentation was to be found. His ears were of little help anyway, there was literally nothing else to hear besides the insistent chirping of the insects and other animals of the forest.

Why couldn't he have been the good student his mother so rightfully wanted him to be and stayed in class? Maybe then he'd actually have a clue with what he was currently dealing with, damn that Naruto and his enticing antics. Thanks to the jinchuriki, he completely missed the schooling of Genjutsu...and was now, unfortunately, paying for it.

So there they were, just a boy and his dog leaping from branch to branch, scanning fruitlessly through the foliage for their sensei as if she'd be so naive and idoitic as to hide in plain sight. Unfortunately, he could only wish and it was only serving him as frustration now. Oh well, she _was _a Jounin , it's not like its supposed to be easy.

But why did it have to be so damn hard?

A branch jiggled under his weight as he deftly leapt to another, stopping breifly as he reasoned a break was in order since they'd been doing nothing but leaping on and on for an hour now. Which only left about five more hours to complete the search...Not good odds. Regardless he took a moment to halt his leaps and perched on the nearest branch, allowing himself to close his eyes and simply _breathe._

That was when he smelled it. A scent. _The _scent.

A excited yip from Akamaru was heard, and Kiba knew that he smelled it as well. In an instant the two entered predator mode, sulking through the foliage with much more stealth and discretion that ever before. All senses on high alert and nose working overtime. Moments passed and he determined their sensei was moving closer to them, only a matter of moments before she entered ambush range.

Kiba chuckled, silently counting to three as he readied himself for the ambush.

_1_

Perhaps his sensei really w_asn't _a Jounin. Or perhaps she was merely taking it easy...underestimating her genin's abilities rather foolishly.

2

That, or perhaps Kiba was simply _that_ good. After all, he w_as _an Inuzuka. Either were quite plausible.

_3_

In the instand of approach Kiba leapt from his branch with inhuman speed and accuracy, Akamaru as always by his side. A feral grin rose to Kiba's face as he imagined just what Hana would look like when he pronounced how he single handedly captured his Sensei, and all without any organal disruption from an impending Gentle Fist .

Akamaru yelped suddenly, a sign of warning. A sign of something amiss. Quickly Kiba was jolted from his gloating thoughts as his senses went into overdrive once more and his head snapped up with clear eyes. Suddenly he then wanted to yelp just as Akamaru had, though no such luck would grace him. Instead a very high pitched girlish scream rumbled from deep inside him as he collided with his prey.

His prey that was not his Sensei. His prey that was instead _Hinata_.

...

Shino paced himself. He hadn't known his comrades for very long, but he already concluded he was certainly unlike them. He wasn't like Kiba, who rushed through the boughs of the trees like the Nine Tailed Fox was chasing him to Hell. And he wasn't like Hinata, who hesitated with every dainty step taken through the forest floor and startling at every foreign sound.

No, Shino wasn't like them at all. Instead, every step was purposeful, every movement measured and unwasted. Currently his insects were searching in an organized parameter in every direction, but so far he wasn't getting any trace of their Sensei anywhere. Not that he'd imagined any less, she _was_ a Jounin after all.

He also didn't think Kiba and Hinata were having any better luck either, as none of them had reported anything thus far. Though he felt perhaps the possibility they'd overlook him was also plausible, after all Shino found himself to be an unimpressionable person indeed...

As he walked on, a moment passed, and then two, then more. Eventually Shino came to the conclusion that something was amiss. It was too quiet...The forest was never silent...then was it Genjutsu? Or was it the fact that the life around them anticipated something astronomical occuring in the near future and was cloaking itself from it? He'd heard of this defense mechanism once, how plants and mammals alike all seem to still to avoid detection...But from what?

He didn't have to wait long to find out.

"_Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"_

Shino's thoughts were disrupted immediately by the high pitched yell. Seemingly never ending as it echoed on and on throughout the forest, making it hard to pinpoint. Was the voice female or male? Did they find their sensei, and if so, what sort of horrible monstrosity was happening to them at this very moment? What could cause such heart rending fear?

Shino didn't have to wait long, as his chakra beetle landed atop the tree trunk nearest to him, clearly awaiting his signal to relay information. A moment of hesitation, and then his hand was reaching from the insides of his pocket to allow the creature to crawl atop his outstretched finger, a almost welcome sensation knowing word of his comrades and sensei were within reach.

A moment later and the hum of the insect told all. Though he wasn't quite sure he'd heard correctly.

"Wait, Kiba and Hinata are _what!?_"

...

"_Don't touch me!" _

"K-Kiba, I s-said s-s-sorry. It w-was an a-accident!"

"_Yeah right, I am not exploding today!"_

"J-just c-calm down! I-I don't know w-what you're t-t-talking about!"

"_Likely story!"_

Hinata, for the life of her, could not figure out what Kiba's problem was, only that it had something to do with her and exploding innards. The whole ordeal was quite a blur. Hinata had just been maneuvering her way through the forest when she'd sensed a foreign chakra signature. Naturally, she assumed it had been her sensei and had approached to investigate and report to the others.

However what she hadn't been expecting was the animialistic boy and his dog that promptly toppled her into the ground. A flash of canine teeth and the weight of a bulky body crashing into her was all she could recall. After forcing all the air out of her with a massive body slam that left them both sprawled in a tangle of limbs on the forest floor, they had both been disoriented and stunned, unable to do naught more than groan in pain.

However, that had all ended shortly after Kiba opened his slitted eyes to come face to face with her own wide eyed lavender eyes that stared in a daze. In that moment of his intense gaze neither of them had moved and seemed to cease breathing, and Hinata was ashamed to admit the intense attention painted her face a startling tomato red as the blood rushed to her face.

A moment passed and then, as if burned or jolted by lightning, Kiba's slitted eyes became almost imperceivable and a mouth full of fangs opened wide to let out the most girlish scream Hinata had ever known. It seemed an eternity before it ended, but by that time Kiba had scrambled his way off of her and ended with his back to a tree. Ever since then he couldn't stop screeching nonsense and colliding with the tree again and again as if he would somehow phase through it if only he tried harder.

It was all quite frightening.

Hinata didn't know what to do, for no one had ever raised their voice to her in such a way before, and after this, she hoped no one ever would. Several times she had attempted to calm him after scrambling unsteadily to her feet, but he never allowed her to get closer than a few feet from him. She didn't want to push it either, she feared any more shock and he would really lose it and begin throwing things mindlessly.

He was very much the cornered animal at this moment. One bad move and it would furiously attack it's predator in an instict to live. And so there they were, at a stalemate yet again.

"P-please, let's just t-think for a m-m-moment!" She pleaded, arms raised in a surrender position with palms facing him. Though that didn't seem to comfort him at all, because his eyes constantly darted from her face to her hands as if they would attack him at any moment.

"I-I won't h-hurt you!" She added desperately.

"_Uh huh, I bet that's what you tell all your victims!" _

Victims? Did he really...He couldn't! He couldn't...fear her...could he?

Deep breaths, she reminded herself, though his panicky state wasn't helping her out one bit. In fact, with every moment spent in his presence her own anxiety raced. Her heart beat to an unhealthy pace and sweat soon coated her body, any more of this and she fear she'd faint, or worse, cry.

She was so preoccupied with him that she nearly forgot about his puppy companion.

Akamaru stood idly by, his head lowered with his paws placed over his head. He trembled and whined insistently, as if he and Kiba were literally linked and the pup shared his anxiety. If Hinata wasn't so currently preocuppied, she may have thought it cute, though now was certainly not a moment for doting. Though the dogs presence did comfort her some, perhaps he would be able to get through to his stupor-induced partner?

"A...Akamaru?" She inquired, and was rewarded when said pup lifted his head just the slightest, and one onyx eye peered up at her.

"Please h-help. K-K-Kiba...S-something's w-wrong...I-I..." She stuttered, hoping beyond hope that Akamaru's nin-dog status allowed him to communicate with others aside from his partner.

In any case, the dog seemed to understand and take a moment to collect himself. Once standing upright and strong, as big as the small dog could make himself, he seemed to analyze Kiba's condition. After a moment of proper accession he took a few long strides to his master's side, sniffed curiously, and opened his little jaw and subsequently bit him.

On the hand. _Hard._

...

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Kiba yelped, "Akamaru! What the heck!"

Kiba founded himself backed against a tree, coated in sweat, and hand stinging viciously all for a reason he couldn't seem to recall right this moment. Though the sting he felt was undoubtly from the fact that Akamaru's jaws were currently clamped down onto it. Though that still didn't explain why he couldn't recall why his heart was racing, nor why his lungs ached for air suddenly.

Momentarily, after Akamaru seemed to think he'd calmed proficiently, his small jaws released his hand. It was small comfort to Kiba, who now saw the crimson blood leaking from the offending puncture marks. In an instinct to ease the pain he brought his hand to his mouth and began to gingerly suck the would clean, all the while grumbling to his dog.

When the scent of blood finally receded, he was once again brought alert by _that _scent, and in a moment of horror recalled he was not alone and why, precisely, he was not alone. _She _was here. Worse, he'd caused himself to be near her when he'd foolishly attacked without a second thought. He'd doomed himself and his first offical day as a ninja wasn't even over.

"I-I-It's y-y-you...H-H-H-Hinata..." He sputtered, tongue betraying him as his normally cool tone teetered on the edge of a small girl hopelessly terrified. He bit his tongue to stop the flow of babble, but it was too late, she'd already heard and was currently focused on him. Those pearlypurple eyes solely concentrated on him, though for the moment she looked just as shaken as he felt.

"Y-Yes...A-Are y-you okay, K-K-Kiba?" She managed to stammer out, looking partly relieved for him but more so for herself. He must've scared her while he lapsed into his fear. A pang of guilt was felt, though it was quickly washed away with another bout of fear from a mental image of exploding innards.

After another moment of awkward silence and hostile atmosphere, he found he just couldn't keep it up. Her innocent question, paired with her attentive gaze and obvious concern, humbled him. He wasn't quite ready to let his guard down yet, though he supposed acting with such hostility wasn't quite fair either. After all, she had plenty of chances to Gentle Fist him while he was in his panicked state, and as far as he could tell, his insides had yet to be exploded.

He took the opportunity to clear his throat and breathe, though he still couldn't force himself to look into those soul peering eyes quite yet. "Y-yeah. Sorry I...scared you." Though clearly Hinata wasn't the only one scared in this situation.

His calm demeanor seemed to affect her as well, for she too settled herself into a more comfortable kneeling position in front of him and allowed herself a deep breath before a genuine smile appeared on her face. Though when his eyes finally rose to meet hers she squeaked and snapped her head down once more, hands rising to fumble as she struggled for words.

He sighed, not that he minded not having to face her eyes for the time being, it was a bit discerning how afraid she seemed to be of him. Though he didn't blame her, not when he was certain he was more fearful of her than her of him right now.

"Don't worry, Kiba."

She didn't stutter. And for some reason, that brought a slight smile to his face for just a moment.

...

And then that moment ended.

A shrill trill of laughter from the surrounding area sounded. Immediately the two ninjas jumped and whipped around wildly in search of the infiltrator. To their bewilderment it was their sensei, only their sensei was partially phased into the tree above them and was currently doubled over in laughter.

Part of him wanted to scream, 'I told you so!' considering this proved he actually _had _smelled their sensei at the time he'd tackled Hinata, though the other half wanted to strangle himself for ever being so fooled...Genjutsu 101: Phasing. Even he could recall that...

Kiba, with all his wrath, cursed his life to Hell even as his own face flushed. He didn't think it could get much worse at that moment, when Shino appeared in a flourish of insects. The only relief with Shino's appearance was the fact he was just as stone-faced as ever, and if he felt any amusement at their situation, he masked it smoothly.

Just when the awkward moment passed and Kiba was ready to declare a bad situation avoided, it happened.

Hinata tripped, or perhaps more accurately, fell. She had just scrambled to her feet, struggling to speak so greatly that it came out in an incoherent jumble, when her clumsy footing sent her stumbling back down almost the moment she got up. Gravity took over and she fell.

Fell on him. And her hands, her damned hands that had outstretched to catch herself collided right with his body. More specifically, his head.

'_Here it comes,' _he thought as he faded into the darkness, thinking his matter of unconsciousness was a direct result of her Gentle Fist rendering his brains to jelly. _'Death by Gentle Fist just like Hana warned...Damn sisters and being right all the time...'_

Turns out, Kiba didn't die. Though he would mostly likely have wished to at that moment. For the first time, Kiba had _fainted_. Thankfully it would be the first and last time, though not for Hinata, who would soon faint enough for the both of them.

_..._

Hinata would always remember that day with fondness. It had been the first time she ever felt unintentionally intimidating. It was the first time she'd ever seen Kiba faint. And perhaps most importantly, it was the first time she'd felt like she could find a place for herself. Right there in Team 8, as they all laughed at Kiba's misfortune and pitied his unconscious state.

It would only be after they'd all ate that Kurenai-sensei announced they'd all passed in their own amusing way, though Hinata knew she meant they were just too amusing to fail. Kiba had woken and subsequently wolfed down his food as if nothing ever happened, and Hinata didn't push him.

She never did find out what exactly about her had scared him so terribly, though she believed it had something to do with his family and her's. And perhaps a little something to do with exploding organs. Before she knew it, Kiba's mother and his sister, who she had learned to be named Tsume and Hana, arrived and said they were here for Kiba.

After introductions were made, Hinata felt terribly insecure as both Inuzuka women scrutinized her for a moment before turning to Kiba, who in turn colored a sickly pale and sputtered all the way home with the too women tousling his hair, punching his shoulder and doubling over in laughter the entire time as their nin-hounds followed suit. And Hinata thought _her _Clan was strange.

Such a strange family they made, the bug whisperer, the dog boy, and the Hyuga heiress. But a family nontheless.

A/N: Hope it made sense! It all seemed to be just a bunch of jumbled words to me, but perhaps after editing it again and again it finally panned out...What do you think? Like? Hate? Have any suggestions? I'd love to hear some! :D


End file.
